This and That Saturday with Hunter

Slept in  before we drove the Canyon Drive.  It was a beautiful drive through a canyon with limestone walls and a little creek flowing through.  We drove through water in three different places where the road was low.  Because it was a beautiful day, kids and adults alike were wading in the water.

This is a nice park and campground.  The showers are hot and close to site #6.  We would camp here again.

Carol and I on the stone bridge.

This stone bridge was built in the 1930's by the CCC.

The rocky creek that flows through the canyon.

Hunter on the stone bridge.

Someone wanted to decorate for fall.

Pretty farm just outside the park.

This is the home of the president of ISU.  It is on campus.

There was a home football game so there was lots of tailgaters.  The whole campus had a party atmosphere.  Everyone was decked out in their ISU gear.  I went to the bookstore and brought me a ISU sweatshirt that said, "ISU Grandparent."  

We drove to the Main Street of downtown Ames.  Ames has a nice downtown with interesting little stores.  Three blocks of Main Street were blocked off for a farmer's market.  We ate lunch at Noodles and Company.  We had never eaten at one.  It was very good.  After lunch we drove back to the park to spend the afternoon playing cards and relaxing.  We had supper of Hunter's favorite dish:  Skillet Hamburger Mac and Cheese.  

We had one more thing on our agenda and that was to see the High Trestle Bridge.  We got there at 6:45.  I thought I had read that it was a 3/4 mile hike to the bridge...wrong.  It was more like three miles round trip because when we got to the bridge, only the far end of the bridge was illuminated.  That meant that we had to walk a mile farther to see the lights on the trestles.  Carol was a trooper.  He has been having trouble walking very far without sitting down.  There were occasional benches for him to sit on but as we got to the bridge, lightning and thunder began.  I was concerned that a storm was coming in and at 7:30 it began to get dark.  We made it.  We walked 4 miles today.  We should sleep well tonight.

The light in the background in the clouds is actually lightning.

Entrance to the bridge.  The lights can be seen at the far end of the bridge.

It was worth the walk to see the bridge.  I am glad we were able to do it.

We made it back to camp at 8:30 and we avoided the rain.  There was still one thing that we wanted to do...have a fire and make s'mores.  Because it wasn't raining, Papaw got a fire going and we had the pleasure of sitting by the fire and eating s'mores.  It has been another great day.  I am sure we will all sleep well tonight.

P.S.  Iowa played Arkansas State.  The score was 52-7 with ISU getting the win!